I know that probably wouldn't work out and may not even be worth my time since it can be so hard to prove.

It's beautiful here and I count myself lucky to have lived here my whole life! 

This doesn't mean you get to keep his deposit however you can deduct money from the deposit for time the property was held. 

With the recent zoning changes happening, often times the land value can be quite a bit. 

A 3.25% rate would be something I hold onto for deal life LOL :) However, it may make sense for you to do a cash out refi (depending on how much equity you have + how much forced value you have in the property too). 

There’s nobody better to help you than @Dave FosterJust make sure if you go that route it’s worth the time/effort/dolalrs…If you sell for $110k you might only net $100k (or less).

She normally pays rent on time except for the last couple of months when she paid a few days late with late fees.  

When it comes to the finances I am planning to get a first time home buyer FHA loan with 3.5% down and when adding the closing fees and all the other fees we are looking around $12,000 dollars out of pocket.

I would list every single item your counting as capex, their useful remaining life and their cost that day.

This started as a nice cabin getaway for the family and turned into a rental.2.5 - 3.5 hr drive depending on where you're coming from and what time you're traveling.You may also want to look into Tannersville, Warwick, Greenwood Lake.